Muhammet Ikbal Arslan
February 28, 2020•Update: February 28, 2020
LEFKOSA, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Top officials of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) offered their condolences to Turkey over the loss of Turkish soldiers in an airstrike late Thursday by Assad regime forces in Syria’s Idlib province.
TRNC Prime Minister Ersin Tatar said on Twitter he is very sorry over the loss of the lives of the soldiers, who were in Idlib to stop terrorism.
"No matter who engages in treacherous acts, they cannot deprive the security and sovereignty of the Turkish nation. Eventually, they will be disappointed," he said.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kudret Ozersay said on Facebook that he shares the Turkish nation's sorrow.
"I wish Allah's mercy on the martyrs and a quick recovery to the injured," he said.
Hasan Tacoy, TRNC Minister of Economy and Energy, said on Twitter that he wishes Allah’s mercy on the Turkish soldiers who lost their lives in the treacherous attack in Idlib.
At least 29 Turkish soldiers were martyred and 36 others injured late Thursday in the regime attack.
In September 2018, Turkey and Russia agreed to turn Idlib into a de-escalation zone in which acts of aggression are expressly prohibited.
But more than 1,300 civilians have been killed in attacks by the regime and Russian forces in the zone since then as the ceasefire continues to be violated.
The de-escalation zone is currently home to 4 million civilians, including hundreds of thousands displaced in recent years by regime forces throughout the war-torn country.
More than 1.7 million Syrians have moved near the Turkish border due to intense attacks.
Since the eruption of the bloody civil war in Syria in 2011, Turkey has taken in some 3.7 million Syrians who fled their country, making it the world’s top refugee-hosting country.
*Writing by Fahri Aksut
